Mandatory federal wall-wart regulations pre-empt hodge-podge at state level

Last month Congress passed the Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007. Most of the media attention has been on the mandatory use of biofuel by fuel producers, the setting of a mandatory national fuel economy standard of 35 mpg by 2020, and the phasing out of incandescent light bulbs in favor of compact fluorescents.

However, an additional piece of the Act that affects external power supply (EPS) (aka wall warts) manufacturers and users was the establishment of mandatory efficiencies for all external power supplies manufactured on or after July 1, 2008. The efficiency specs are in line with the Tier 2 California Energy Commission specs that were also to go into effect at that date. (See chart below.)

Additional federal regulations are not usually something I get all happy about, but in this case they serve a good purpose: They supersede any regulations made at the state level. While California was the only state that had mandatory efficiency levels in effect, there were rumblings that other states were considering their own versions, and the US could have devolved into a patchwork of state power supply efficiency standards. This act precludes that.

As Power Integrations’ Mr. Green blog points out, there are still other aspects of efficiency that are not specifically covered in the Act, and are therefore open to state regulations, such as battery charging systems. The CEC is continuing with its regulatory activities for these, which may well serve as the precursor for federal standards.

Below is the efficiency requirements for all external power supplies manufactured on or after July 1, 2008: